Two new Bent-toed Geckos of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus complex from Peninsular Malaysia and multiple instances of convergent adaptation to limestone forest ecosystems

Researchers have identified two new species of bent-toed geckos, Cyrtodactylus hidupselamanya and C. lenggongensis, within the C. pulchellus complex from Peninsular Malaysia. Both species exhibit unique adaptations to limestone ecosystems, with C. hidupselamanya facing imminent extinction due to habitat destruction from quarrying, while C. lenggongensis is protected under UNESCO’s Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley. The study used molecular evidence (mitochondrial gene ND2) and morphological traits to distinguish these species, revealing at least four independent instances of convergent adaptation to limestone habitats over 26.1–0.78 million years. This discovery underscores the evolutionary significance of limestone forests in driving speciation and highlights critical conservation concerns for C. hidupselamanya.

GRISMER, L. L., WOOD, JR, P. L., ANUAR, S., GRISMER, M. S., QUAH, E. S. H., MURDOCH, M. L., MUIN, M. A., DAVIS, H. R., AGUILAR, C., KLABACKA, R., COBOS, A. J., AOWPHOL, A., & SITES, JR, J. W. (2016). Two new Bent-toed Geckos of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus complex from Peninsular Malaysia and multiple instances of convergent adaptation to limestone forest ecosystems. Zootaxa, 4105(5). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4105.5.1